The Other World
by greekgeek1
Summary: A green stranger arrives at Arendelle after being hit with a bucket of water, wondering if she has arrived at the Other World. She lives with Princess Anna and Queen Elsa. Soon she discovers Elsa doesn't quite fit in as well. Elphaba Thropp, turned into the Wicked Witch of the West, relearns the meaning of life and who she really is.
1. The Green Stranger

The green stranger got up with a start, woken up by an agonizing prickly sensation. She felt as if pins were poking every part of her exposed body. Then she realized she had been lying face first in snow and quickly brushed it off and recoiled, as if it were fire. She didn't dare let it touch her.

"Is this the Other World?" the green woman muttered, but then shook her head as if to dismiss the thought. She didn't have a soul. How could she be in the Other World? The most she could hope for was death to put her out of her misery.

As she looked down at herself, she grimaced. Still alive. How much, she wanted to scream, how much did it take to be dead? Isn't being hit by a bucket of water enough? The twisted faces of all her failures blurred together, a testament to her uselessness. Sarima and her family looked at her reproachfully. How could you let this happen to us, they ask. Nor, sixteen, crouched in the position of a prisoner. Fiyero in his exotic blue diamonds, passionately calling out "Fae!" and then being clubbed by a member of the Gale Force. Dr. Dillamond's lifeless body. The Animals rounded up and systematically slaughtered.

There was nothing left to live for. Madam Morrible was dead now. Sarima could no longer give her forgiveness. Glinda had cheated her of those shoes—Nessa's shoes—which she rightfully earned. She was free of all ties to life, untethered by guilt. Liir would somehow survive on his own as he always did. Probably would run off with that pathetic girl.

Goddess of Gifts, huh, Dorothy? Is it too much to ask for the gift of death to release me?

Frustrated and enraged, the green stranger's fingers lit on fire. Soon they spark into a blazing fireball. With an animal-like look in her eyes, the stranger flung it at a tree. The fire spread to a few other trees, leaving them charred.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" called a voice in the distance. The stranger squinted and saw a woman riding on a horse. She was young and full of youthful fantasies, about the age at which she could attend the University of Shiz. She had auburn hair and freakishly wide green eyes. She dismounted and walked towards the green woman.

"Whoa. Um, you're green."

"I know," the stranger said firmly.

"How stupid of me, pointing out the obvious. So, well, that was awkward," she fumbled. Then she affected a comically imperial stance. "Who are you stranger, and what brings you here? You have no right to burn down our trees."

"Who am I? You could say I'm nobody."

"Yes, but I need a name to call you."

"Can you just . . . Elphie will be fine."

"Sure Elphie, but where are you from?"

"Rush Margins in Munchkinland, but I spent my childhood in Quadling country."

"Um, where?"

"Where are we now?"

"We are in the Kingdom of Arandelle. My name is Anna and I am Princess of Arandelle."

"Could it be? The Other World," the stranger muttered.

"Oh well. At any rate, you can't stay outside forever, you'll freeze to death. We could give you room at the castle."

Anna led the dazed green woman to the castle.


	2. Welcome to Arandelle

The green woman followed complacently, not even speaking once on the whole journey. Anna tried to ask her questions to draw her out of her shell, but the woman only grunted.

Perhaps it was that Elphie was tired with travel, Anna realized, and shut up. But Elphaba was shaking on the inside. Anna reminded her so much of Nor's curiosity and eagerness it pained. She felt like an elf was trying to claw its way outside of her stomach. She only grunted occasionally, allowing it to eat up her entrails.

When they reached the dwellings, Elphaba shied away almost like an animal. "Oh, if you don't want anyone to, you know, see your skin cover yourself with this shawl." Elphaba tied the black shawl around her face so all one could see were her eyes. Anna led the woman to the gates of the castle—open, of course now. Travelers and refugees were always welcome at the castle and given refuge.

Elphaba walked through the gates, and couldn't help thinking of Kiamo Ko. This castle lay on a hill with a big square courtyard in front. It consisted of stone towers topped with green roofs. Inside the castle were richly carpeted hallways bustling with officials and servants rushing about. Fine portraits decorated the castle walls.

Anna led Elphaba down the hall to an ornately painted blue door trimmed with silver. Servants stared at Elphaba, and she smiled slyly. She must indeed look like a witch in her black shift and headscarf. Good, she thought. Anna opened the door, and Elphaba saw that it was a throne room. What first caught her eye was the chandelier. Was it made of _ice_? Then she turned to the throne, which glistened as if it too were made of ice.

On the throne sat a regal woman, maybe twenty, talking to another king. The woman had pale skin and almost-white hair. And her dress! Elphaba had never cared for fashion ever, but even she had to admit the dress was beautiful. Layers of gauzy blue film, all of them shimmering and catching the glint of the sun. The delicate snowflake-like train that flowed behind her. Her clothes sparkled and twinkled and danced, alternately blue, silver, and white like a bunch of snowflakes woven together. Her dress pulsed with light like Nessa's shoes.

"Elsa! Elsa!" shouted Anna. Seeing the king, she calmed down. "Uh, I mean, Queen Elsa, we have a guest with us who I have invited to stay at the castle for as long as she chooses. Of course you're fine with it?"

"Me? Fine with it?" asked the Queen, raising her eyebrows. "Of course I am. Now please show our guest where she is to stay. I will visit her once I am done with trade negotiations."

Anna led Elphaba out of the throne room. "So Elphie, where would you like to stay?" she asked.

"Doesn't matter. Just somewhere out of view. And preferably somewhere I'll be alone."

"Um, okay then. I guess you could stay in the North Tower then. It's a bit dusty though, I hope you won't mind."

"No problem at all."

When Anna left, Elphaba trudged silently up to her room. The floor was wooden, and there was a sofa covered in blankets that would do fine for a makeshift bed. Next stood to the sofa stood a large window. Elphaba frowned and covered it with a blanket. Other than the sofa, two chairs, a fireplace, and a tap, the room was unfurnished. Elphaba didn't care anyway.

She decided to go to sleep on the sofa, but she couldn't. Whenever she closed her eyes all she saw were the strange dreams from the Miracle Elixir, the awful pain she felt when the water hit her. She could not waste time here sitting on a sofa. But what was she going to do? There was nothing left _to_ do. Oz was gone, as far as she could tell. There was no going back.

But how did she get here in the first place? Obviously she hadn't died. The _Oziad_ extensively talked of the Mythical Ocean, a bridge between Oz and the Other World. She remembered her dreams of seeing the Wizard walk into the sea. Could the water have driven her here to the Other World? Then she shuddered.

That meant she had been baptized of sorts and her soul was due to the Unnamed God. Ha, she laughed. I don't even have a soul, so punish me however you wish.

But then could it be that if she poured another bucket of water on herself she would be back in Oz? Screw it, she thought. I'm the Witch. I don't care, there's nothing left for me to go back to.

The door opened, and the blonde woman walked in.

"I am Queen Elsa of Arandelle. You are?"

"Elphaba. Fabala. Elphie. Fae. Auntie Guest. Auntie Witch. The Wicked Witch of the West. Take your pick," the green woman said bitterly.

"Okay then, Elphaba," said Elsa slightly taken aback, but still keeping her composure. "Welcome to Arandelle."


End file.
